The invention relates generally to valances and more particularly to a rod center support system for supporting a portion of at least one of the curtain rods used to form the valance.
Decorative headings used to conceal the top of curtains, windows or both, commonly referred to as valances, are often comprised of curtain rods that are stacked one on top of the other, with or without vertical spacing therebetween, to obtain a layered look. A decorative sheath or fabric covers the curtain rods, each of which are typically supported by brackets at the rod ends. The end brackets are fixedly secured to a wall or other supporting structure. As the length of the rods increases, it becomes necessary to support the center of each rod to prevent sagging. It is known in the art to support the center of each rod with a respective center bracket mounted to the wall in a manner similar to the end brackets. The disadvantages of such a support system are apparent. Use of individual center brackets increases the number of brackets that must be attached to the wall, often by an awkward screw connection procedure that becomes increasingly difficult as more rods are used to form the valance. Furthermore, this type of system limits the mounting possibilities of the multiple rod valance. For example, none of the rods can overlap the adjacent window because the center bracket, as a practical matter, cannot be fixedly attached to the window pane.
The invention is directed to providing a simple and efficient rod center support system for supporting the center rod portions of a multiple rod valance that avoids the foregoing disadvantages of the prior art.